Pole incising mechanism



June 13, 1944. 1 G. CHARLAND POLE INCISING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l GEORGE GHARLA/VO INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 13, 1944. G CHARLAND POLE INCISING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 GEORGE CHARLAND INVENTOR BY q ATTORNEYS June 13, 1944. G., CHARLAND POLE INCISING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POLE INCISING MECHANISM George Oharland, Sandpoint, Idaho Application December 27, 1941, Serial No. 424,619

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to pole incising mechanism that is particularly adapted for puncturing a longitudinal section of the outer face of a pole.

It is customary practice in the treatment of wooden poles, particularly for use in supporting fencing and for the support of electrical, telephonic and other types of transmission wires, to treat the butt end of such poles with preservative materials in order that their life will be long and that they will be capable of withstanding the deteriorating effects of moisture. In the treatment of such poles, by forcing preservatives into them, it is highly desirable that the preservatives be forced into the outer layer of the wood a considerable distance in order that the greater protection by reason of depth of the preservative may be obtained. It is highly advantageous, in the art of preservatively treating poles, to perform the operation of puncturing such poles with the minimum of labor and at the greatest speed possible in order to keep the cost of such an operation as low as possible. Often the puncturing or incising is desired in a band-like area at the ground line. My machine is intended, to accomplish these objectives.

This invention relates to the provision of a machine to which poles, and particularly a portion of their butt ends, may be presented for the performance of an incising operation.

An important object of my invention is to provide, in an incising mechanism, a rocker member adapted to be rocked upon a portion of the outer surface of a pole and which carries wood puncturing means which will be inserted into and withdrawn from the wood surface of the pole, leaving relatively small punctured openings for the subsequent introduction of preservative materials.

Another object of my invention relates to the provision, in a pole incising mechanism, of a rocker member provided on its curved face with puncturing incisors and which rocker member has a longitudinally movable or reciprocal axis whereby the pole may be maintained in a fixed position and the rocker member moved with relation thereto, and which mechanism includes means for reciprocating the action of the rocker member.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision in a pole incising mechanism of a rockable member having incising means on a curved face and which member is to be rocked upon an outer face of a pole that is presented thereto, and also said mechanism including means for periodically axially indexing the pole with relation to the rocker member to sequentially present other faces for incising treatment.

Still another object of my invention relates to the provision of a track having upturned ends and adapted to support and guide a reciprocally movable pivot shaft which carries a rocker member adapted to be rocked upon an outer face of a pole presented thereto and to incise the area of the pole over which the rocker member passes, and which track at the end of a reciprocal stroke will maintain the rocker member out of contact with the pole whereby the latter may be indexed axially for the presentation of a new face for treatment.

Other objects an advantages of the invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description, wherein I have set forth and described a preferredform of my invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my incising machine,

Figure 2 is an end View of the operating mechanism of my incising machine,

Figure 3 illustrates detailsof means for lifting and lowering a support member employed in my machine, 7

Figure 4 is a plan view of the rocker member employed in my incising machine,

Figure 5 is a side View of the rocker member,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the contacting face of the rocker member,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an incisor employed in connection with my rocker member,

Figure 8 is a schematic showing of the drive mechanism of my incising machine,

Figure 9 is a perspective view, with portions omitted for convenience of illustration, of means that I employ in my incising machine for supporting a pole during longitudinal movement into or out of the machine,

Figure 10 is a showing of a fragment of an index chain that I employ in my incising machine,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of pole centering mechanism that Iemploy in my machine,

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the indexin mechanism and its drive means employed in my machine,

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a reciprocally movable pivot shaft as a means for reciprocating the same that I employ in connection with my rocking incisor member,

Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17 are side views of the rocking incisor member of my machine, illustrating various positions assumed during half a reciprocal stroke, and

Figure 18 is a perspective View of means for tilting the plane of a track that I employ in my incisor mechanism.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 20 designates a frame of my mechanism which is preferably rectangular and may be supported upon wheels 2|, 2| for movement along a track 22, so that the machine can bemoved about a yard or in a plant to a desired position, rather than requiring that poles to be incised be brought to a centrally located machine. Rising above the frame is a superstructure comprising upright members 23 and 24, on each side of the machine, an intermediate member 25, and anupper frame 26, having a forwardly extending beam 21.

For receiving and supporting the butt end of a pole to be treated by machine, I employ a roller 39 carried on crank arms 3|, 3|, that are secured to the pivot shaft 32. Shaft 32 is preferably pivotally mounted in plates 33,- 33, carried on the upper side of the frame 29 as shown in Figure l. A lever 34 on the shaft 32,- in opposition to arms 31, is attached to a drawbar, 35 thatis in turn connected to a lever 36 on a shaft 31. For manual operation in the raising of the roller or the lowering of it, a hand lever .38 is provided, the shaft 37 being pivotally mounted in a plate 39. A quadrant 40, with which latch means 4| on the lever 38 cooperates, holds the lever in an adjusted position and maintains the roller in either a raised or lowered position;

At such time as it isd'esirable to center a pole with relation to the roller 39, interconnected tongs are provided. The tongs. 45 are each pivotally mounted and have gear segments at 46 which are intermeshed so that movement. of one member will produce a corresponding movement of the other member. A shaft 41 extending rearwardly from the pole supporting-end of the machine is turned by a lever 48 through the operationof the hand lever 49 and the connecting link 59.

It will be seen that by pushing the lever 49 in one direction, as away from an-operatorstanding facing the machine in Figure 1, the tongs will be caused to spread apart, and by pulling the lever in the opposite direction they will be drawn together, whereby a pole supported upon the roller 30 will be engagedon opposed faces and urged toward the center of the'roller 30.

Between plates 33 andadja'cent-t-he roll -39-a-nd the tongs 45 is mounted'f-or rotation a pair of sprockets 54 about which an endless chain 55 is passed. A fragment of the-chain is shown in Figure 10 and designated 55a, and it will be seen that sharp, penetrating teeth 56 are provided on I the outer face of thechain-links;

The sprockets 54 are mounted for rotationupon shafts 51 and 58 which are provided with suitable journals associated with the frame 20' and members 33. Rotative power is to be applied through shaft 58 by means of a bevel gear 59 which'i in turn driven by a pinion 60 on shaft 61. On its opposite end shaft 61 has a Geneva gear 62-, the slots of which are engageable periodically by a pin 63 on the rotating plate 64; -Plate'64' isrotated by a shaft 65 which is in turn driven through a train of gears'66 that receive power from a drive wheel 6'! on shaft 68';

Power is supplied to the flywheel 61 from a motor 70 through a belt II; to the wheel 12 on shaft 13. A drive shaft '14 is-coupled to'sha-ft 73 by a clutch I5 and the pulley 16 on shaft I4, 75

through the instrumentality of a belt 17, supplies power to the flywheel 61.

A pair of cantilever beams 89 pivoted at 8I to the upright members 23 extend forwardly in spaced apart relation and these beams are joined at their outer ends by the horseshoe shaped yoke 82. Depending from the frame beam 21 is an hydraulic cylinder 83 having an internal piston 84 and an upwardly extending piston rod 85 coupled to a crosshead 86. On each side of the cylinder 83 a pair of links 81 depend and are suitably connected at 88 to spanners 89 between the beam 89. When fluid is supplied to or exhausted fro-m the cylinder 83 the beam 89 will be raised or lowered, swinging about their pivots 8| with relation to the beam 21.

At the outer end of each of the spaced apart beams 80 are depending pivot ears or links 99 in which frame members 99 are journaled by means of trunnions 9 I The frame members 99 carry the track 92 having upturned ends 93 and 94 above which are spacedly supported an upper track 95 having upturned ends 96 and 91. The track 92 is shown as comprising a flange that liesat right angles to its associated frame member. 90. By reason of the upturned track ends, aypole incisor, to be described, that travels on the track is elevated at either end thereof to lift the incising members from a work piece. v I

On the rear end of the frarne is journaled for rotation a pair of sprockets I 00 and IOI which are encircled by an' upper chain 55a in opposed relation to the lower chain 55 previously described. The sprocket I00 is an idler sprocket and is mounted for free rotation on shaft I92. The sprocket II is a drive sprocket carried by shaft I93 which is in turn driven, t hrou gh auniversal joint I94, by the shaft I05. This shaft has a sprocket I06 onits rear end.

The lower shaft 58 driving sprocket 5 also has a sprocket I01 and a sprocket'chain I08' passing around sprockets I06 and I0! imparts rotative movement to shaft I05 in proportion to and time with the rotation of shaft 56.

The chains 55 and 55a constitute means for indexing a pole about its longitudina1 axi for the purpose of periodically and sequentially presenting various faces of a band around alogfor the incising operation. By reason of the fact that the pole or log rests upon the lower cha-in;55 which is driven in one direction and is engaged by the lower flight of the upper chain' 55a moving simultaneously in an opposite direction to the lower side of the drive, it will be seen that the pole is revolved axially.

As shown in they drawings. a pivot shaft llfl" carrying a curved rocker member H2 ismounted with rollers II3 on the lower track 92 and its upturned ends 93 and 94. Above track 92 is an auxiliary track having upturned ends96and 91. It is advisable to provide the tracks 92and 95 with an opposed pair of like nature on the opposite side of the rocker member I I2 so that the rocker member will be supported therebetween in a vertical manner. It will be seen that the roller 'I I3 rolling along. the track 92 will be caused to travel over the upturned. or inclined ends of the track and thus elevate shaft 1 I0 and the rocker I I2 carried thereby, in which instance the incisors of the rocker will be withdrawn from the work piece as can besee'n in Figurel'4.

A yoke 5 extends rearwardly around'the incisor member II 2 and i'sactuated in a reciprbcating manner by means of the connecting rod 116. Upon a pivot shaft II! a drive l'e'vei' H8 is mounted and is braced by the arm I I9, ,The lever H8 is pivotally connected at I to rod II6. By means of a pitman I2I joined to lever I I8 andthe drive gear I22 powered through the train of gears 66 from shaft 68 this arrangement provides means for reciprocating the rod H6 and causes the yoke II5 to advance and retract the axis of the rocker member along the track 92 and itsupe turned ends.

An auxiliary yoke I25 positioned above the yoke II5 and pivotally joined thereto'at I26 on ears I2'I serves to stabilize the reciprocating action of the primary yoke. At its free end yoke I25 is provided with rollers I28 which are positioned above rollers II3 for engagement on the under side of tracks 95 and their upturned ends 96 and 91. Expansible springs I30 positioned between the free ends of the yokes tend to spread the yokes apart from each other and to maintain traction of the rollers upon their respective tracks. I

As shown throughout the drawings, rocker member H2 is semi-circular and has a counterbalance member I32 on the opposite side of the pivot shaft I I0. Around the outer curved face of the rocker member is a removable rim I34 having a plurality of perforations I35 therethrough and cross grooves I36 on the inner face in line with the inner termini of the holes I35. The rim has flanged ends I31 which are bolted at I38 to the rocker member.

Removable incisor teeth of the nature shown in Figure 7 each have a shank I39 inserted through a hole I35 and the head I39 engages in a groove I36 to prevent turning and to maintain them in a fixed position. Preferably the teeth I40 of the incisors are of the nature of a spiral ribbon or blade, so that when they are inserted into longitudinally-extending wood fibers the straight edge of the member I40 enters the wood and twisting action is imparted to spread the wood fiber as the incisor is further inserted. In this way a spreading action is obtained rather than a cutting action which is considered less desirable.

On either side of the rocker member, by means of spacer bolts I45, I mount segmental cable guides I46 and I41. A cable I48 is joined at I49 to one of the segmental cable guides I46 and at the other end is anchored in the clip I50 by means of the bolt head I5I. A resilient spring I52 between bolt I5I and clip I50 provides a certain resiliency to the cable. A second cable I 54 is anchored at I55 to the other end of the segmental cable guide and is similarly and resiliently anchored at I56 to the rear of the frame 9|. The same arrangement is used on each side of the rocker member in this exemplifying disclosure. Thus it will be seen that there are a pair of guide cables I48 and I54 on each side of the rocker member maintaining it in a true rocking alignment.

As the rocker member is moved from the position of Figure 15 to the showing of Figure 17, the cable I54 unwraps from the cable guide on each side of the rocker and simultaneously the cables I48 are wrapped in the grooves of the cable guides. Thus, as the axis of the rocker member is advanced or retracted, the rocker is simultaneously caused to swing about its axis substanon either side of the frame which, at I59, are connected to either-of the links I 60 or I6I as the case may be. the rod I62 as is shown in Figure 18 and rod I62 has threaded thereon pinion I63 which is meshed with the Worm I64 rotatable upon rotation of the cross shaft, I65. Hand wheel I66 is provided for the manual rotation ofshaft I65. It can be seen that by turning the hand wheel I66 in one direction or the other, either a push or a pull can be applied to the links I60 and I6I to tilt the frame either forwardly or rearwardly. It is customary to maintain the frame in substantial parallelism with the surface of the pole being treated so that the incisor rocker member will bear substantially evenly on the pole throughout its rocking action.

A pole placed upon the lower chain 55 and pressed thereon by chain 55a is indexedaxially by interrupted rotary motion applied to shafts 58 and I05 respectively. Rotary motion is applied to shaft 58 from the shaft 68, through a pinion thereon meshing with gear 66 of shaft 65, through the Geneva stop comprising members 64 and 62 and including the drive pin 63, thence to shaft 6I, the pinion 60, and the bevel gear 59 which is secured on shaft 58. From the foregoing it will be apparent that, although shaft 68 is constantly rotated, this rotary motion in transmission to shaft 58 is interrupted by the Geneva stop mechanism so that only periodic partial rotation of the shaft 58 is obtained. During the still periods of chains 55 and 55a the pole is incised and during the periods of movement of the chains and when the pole is turning axially, the incisor mechanism is raised by the inclined surfaces of its track at either end of the stroke of the rocker.

The incising operation of the mechanism is accomplished in the following manner: a pole is deposited upon the chain bed 55 substantially as shown in Figure l, whereupon the overhead structure is lowered so that the chain 55a rests upon the upper portion of the pole. The rocker I46 carrying the incising teeth I40 is rocked backward and forward longitudinally of the pole so that a portion thereof is incised. At either end of the stroke of the rocker, the same is lifted upon the inclined surfaces 93 or 94 as the case may be to withdraw the incising face of the rocker from contact with the pole face. With the rocker thus withdrawn, the pole is indexed to present a new portion to be incised and the rocker is again reciprocated to repeat the incising. When the pole has been fully incised around the portion to be so treated, the overhead mechanism is raised from the pole and the pole is then raised by crank operated roller 30 through the swinging action of the lever 36 upon link 35 as when the hand lever 38 is moved. When the pole is in such a raised position, it may be rolled sideway from the machine for disposal in any suitable manner.

I claim:

1. Pole incising mechanism comprising a sup-- port arm, a track having upturned ends and carried by said support arm, means for raising and lowering said arm to vary the position of said track, a pivot shaft reciprocally movable on said track and guided thereby, means for reciprocating said pivot shaft, a rocker member mounted on said pivot shaft for rocking movement upon reciprocal movement of said pivot means, and means on the curved face of said rocker member for puncturing a pole presented thereto.

2. Pole incising mechanism comprising a track Members I60 and I6I join with having upturned ends, a pivot shaft'ineu'nted for reciprocating movement on said track and ti) be guided thereby, means for reciprocating said pivot shaft whereby said track guides saidpivot shaft in a path'that first'descen'ds, then advances and finally rises, during either stroke of its reciprocating movement; a'rocker member mounted Onsaid shaft for rocking movement during reciprocation of, said pivot shaft, and means on the curved face of said rocker member for puncturing a pole presented thereto. v

3. Pole incising mechanismcomprisin'g a track having upturned ends, a pivot shaft mounted for reciprocating movement on said track an'dto be guided thereby, means for reciprocating said pivot shaft whereby said track guides said pivot shaft in a path that first descends, then'advances and finally rises, during either stroke -*of its reciproeating movement; a rocker member mounted on 's'ai'd shaft for'rockin'g movement during reciprocation of said pivot shaft, means for supporting and presenting a pole to said rocker member, and means for axially indexingsaid pole when said pivot shaft is in a raised position at one or the other end of its reciprocal stroke.

4. Pole inc'is'ing mechanism comprising: pivoted'cant'ilever support means, means for swin ing said support means about its pivot, a track pivotally mounted onsaid support means, means for 's-winging said track about its pivotal support, a reciprocal pivot shaft mounted on said track, means for reciprocating said pivot shaft whereby it is guided by said track, a rocker member carried by said pivot shaft, 'and means on the curved face of said rocker member for puncturing a pole presented thereto.

GEORGE CHARLAND; 

